Play your favorite classic games and more with the GameEx front end. Read more.

sidearmsj: MAME ROM Information.

A horizontally scrolling shoot-em-up for 1 or 2 players. Each player has 2 fire buttons, one for shooting ahead and one for shooting behind; crucial for a game in which enemies attack from all directions. Shooting certain enemies will reveal power-ups - displayed as 'POW' icons - and shooting the icons will either change their type, or reveal a special weapon.

The 8 available power-ups are :

* Speed-up

* Speed-down

* Bit - (3 level power-up)

* Spread Gun - (3 level power-up)

* Mega Bazooka Launcher (2 level power-up)

* 3-Way Shot (2 level power-up)

* Auto I (Chain gun)

* Auto II (3-Way Auto)

Players are able to carry all of the game's available weapons simultaneously and can switch between each one to suit the situation. All weapons can also be powered-up by collecting a similar option. Finally, Side Arms features a unique power-up that is only available in the two-player game; both players can join together to become a single, highly powerful combat unit capable of firing in eight different directions. When joined, BOTH players' controllers can control the unit, which can cause problems if players decide to go in different directions from each other.

- TECHNICAL -

Main CPU : Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)

Sound CPU : Z80 (@ 4 Mhz)

Sound Chips : (2x) YM2203 (@ 4 Mhz)

Players : 2

Control : 8-way joystick

Buttons : 3

- TRIVIA -

Released in December 1986.

Licensed to Romstar for US distribution.

This game is known outside Japan as "Side Arms - Hyper Dyne".

The player one character appears as a bonus item in some Capcom games including : "19XX - The War Against Destiny", "Super Pang", "Area 88" and "Black Dragon".

Alfa Records released a limited-edition soundtrack album for this game (Capcom Game Music Vol.2 - 28XA-203) on 25/03/1988.

- TIPS AND TRICKS -

* During the attract sequences, when the players are joined, you can even move the character around without having to add any credits.

- 0.31: Gerrit Van Goethem added high score saving to Sidearms. Note: There is an additional ROM which seems to contain code for a third Z80, however the board only has two. The ROM is related to the missing star background. At one point, the code jumps to A000, outside of the ROM address space.